Conventional spelling is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL to a piece of writing in both appearance and understanding.


High frequency errors in spelling at the middle school level have been noted in the following areas:


  • contractions, possessives, and plurals
  • homophones (their/there/they're)
  • unsual or newly learned words



Some basic tips:


  • Spell check is your best friend!
  • Use the "speak text" on your computer to have it read back your text while you listen for misspellings. (On a MAC, go to SYSTEM PREFERENCES (under the APPLE) and set "VOICE." Click "VOICE" and the box that says it will activate the SPEECH TO TEXT mode.)
  • Check dictionary.com for advice if unsure of the correct spelling
  • Read your paper from the END to the BEGINNING to catch misspellings and typos